The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against the State of New Jersey and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, over Executive Order No. 12, which interferes with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.
“Federal agents are risking their lives to keep New Jersey citizens safe, and yet New Jersey’s leaders are enacting policies designed to obstruct and endanger law enforcement,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
“States may not deliberately interfere with our efforts to remove illegal aliens and arrest criminals — New Jersey’s sanctuary policies will not stand,” Bondi said.
Executive Order No. 12
The executive order, signed by Sherrill on Feb. 11, bars federal immigration officers from conducting civil immigration arrests on state-owned property that is not open to the public unless they have a judicial warrant. It also prohibits federal officers from using state property as a staging area for immigration raids.
The Executive Order prohibits ICE and other federal immigration officials from conducting secure arrests of criminal illegal aliens inside nonpublic areas of state property, including state correctional facilities, according to the statement from the DOJ.
“Not only are New Jersey’s sanctuary policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, New Jersey’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities results in the release of dangerous criminals from police custody who would otherwise be subject to removal, including illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking, onto the streets,” the DOJ said.
The executive order could bar ICE from conducting operations in or near MetLife Stadium, where FIFA World Cup soccer games are scheduled June 13 through the final on July 19. The stadium is on land leased by the state’s Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). The American Dream entertainment and shopping mall and the Meadowlands Racetrack are also on NJSEA land.
Lawsuit Claims Executive Order ‘Unconstitutional’
The lawsuit indicates that New Jersey’s executive order was unconstitutional and obstructed the federal government’s ability to enforce the country’s immigration laws. Further, the lawsuit said the executive order discriminated against immigration officers.
On her first day in office, Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations.
The DOJ’s list of sanctuary jurisdictions, published on Aug. 5, 2025, precedes New Jersey’s latest Executive Order, according to the DOJ’s statement.
This lawsuit is the latest in a series of litigation brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in New York, Minnesota, and Los Angeles, California.